An Open Access edition of this book is available on the Liverpool University Press website and the OAPEN library. Steel City Readers* makes available, and interprets in detail, a large body of new evidence about past cultures and communities of reading.
Middlebrow Authorship and Cultural Embarrassment
The book explores the negotiation of hierarchical taste structures through the works of best-selling novelist Warwick Deeping. Famed for his prolific output and immense popularity, Deeping's novels, particularly after 1925 with "Sorrell and Son," reflect his efforts to safeguard himself and his readers from cultural devaluation. Critics like Q. D. Leavis viewed his success as a threat to literary elitism. The analysis highlights how Deeping's career serves as a lens to understand the cultural distinctions and conflicts in Britain during the interwar period.